TOHOKU GAINING FAVOR AS RELOCATION PLACE 15 YEARS AFTER DISASTER - SENDAI MIYAGI TOKYO JAPAN

TOHOKU GAINING FAVOR AS RELOCATION PLACE 15 YEARS AFTER DISASTER - SENDAI MIYAGI TOKYO JAPAN

@Jr_Paku Midin Channel

SENDAI, Miyagi

Three prefectures in the Tohoku region, northeastern Japan, ravaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami 15 years ago have seen a steady increase in interest among prospective migrants who could help revitalize local communities, though a shortage of housing and other infrastructure remains a hurdle.

Fukushima Prefecture, which hosts the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant that experienced meltdowns following the 2011 quake, ranked second after Nagano among the country's 47 prefectures after receiving 20,505 inquiries from people wishing to relocate in fiscal 2024, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Since the lifting of evacuation orders for some municipalities in Fukushima, young migrants have been increasing in number. In fiscal 2024, at least 3,799 people from 2,700 families moved to Fukushima, a record high, data by the prefecture showed.

Fukushima has been seeking to boost its appeal by setting up a consultation center dedicated to 12 cities and towns where local residents were once evacuated from in the wake of the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex.

The increase in migrants "will help enhance medical care, education and transportation" of the area, a prefectural government official said, expressing expectations for positive effects.

However, housing shortages remain an unresolved issue, as many buildings constructed before the disaster were dismantled or have deteriorated with age.

In the farther northeast of Iwate Prefecture, the local government received 10,856 inquiries, about a 10-fold increase from fiscal 2015 when the survey began.

"Many people who have moved here are now major players in the local scene as local assembly members and entrepreneurs," an official of the prefecture said.

Miyagi Prefecture, which received 6,558 consultations, ranked seventh in the rankings of places where people want to relocate, according to an organization supporting migration to rural areas.

An official with the prefectural government said, "Good access to the Tokyo metropolitan area and a mild climate might be attracting (migrants)."

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@Jr_Paku Midin Channel